


It's a Date

by Ray_Writes



Series: Tumblr Prompts [28]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-04 21:31:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14602134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ray_Writes/pseuds/Ray_Writes
Summary: An invitation and Sylvia's usual attitude cause the Doctor and Donna to open up a little more than either intended.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another prompt fill for a tumblr anon. Really quite sorry about the delay on my multi-chapter fic, guys. I've just been working a lot of hours but hopefully I'll sit myself down and get to work on it within the next couple days. In the meantime, please enjoy this!

Donna swore as she reached the end of her messages. She’d been falling behind on checking them, and now it seemed that was going to bite her on the arse.

“Is there need for that?” Asked the Doctor, half-submerged under the console.

“Yes,” said Donna.

“Oh. Okay, how come?”

“Because I am officially a failure,” she explained, slumping even further into the jump seat. 

“No you’re not,” was his near-automatic response. Donna hardly paid it any mind. She was too busy replaying the last message over again.

“Donna, this is your mother. Now listen to me, lady, just cos you’ve decided to skip off across the country doesn’t mean you haven’t got responsibilities waiting for you. There’s a wedding invitation that’s been sent here from Michael. You’ve got to RSVP by the end of the week. And I’d remind you, if you don’t show, there’ll be people talking — not like they don’t already. Just the other day, Suzanne was saying—”

“Donna.”

She jumped, not having noticed the Doctor had climbed out from the console and was now standing before her. “What?”

“Stop listening to that,” he said, taking the phone from her and snapping it shut. “Now what’s wrong?”

“Michael’s getting married and apparently decided to invite me just to rub it in,” she said with a sigh.

The Doctor blinked. “Michael?”

“My ex. I was dating him before Lance, only he dumped me,” she explained with a frown at just the memory. “And now he’s managed to get married before I have.”

“I hadn’t realized there was a race involved to these things,” Spaceman remarked, and her lips twitched in spite of herself.

“Yeah, well, that’s the way people decide who’s better off after the breakup. I thought I’d got it in the bag with Lance, but you know how that turned out.” 

“Right.”

“Now I’m gonna have to show up single because I’ve got less than a week to RSVP and there’s no way I can find a plus one,” Donna continued. “I suppose Matthew still owes me one. No, but Nerys would make sure everyone there knew he was gay. God, I’m gonna look so pathetic.”

“If the relationship ended that badly and you’ll be miserable there, why even go?” He was watching her with an intensely puzzled expression, and truly Donna had no idea how anyone ever thought this man was anything other than an alien.

“ _ Because _ , if I don’t go, I look even worse. Like some bitter old harpy who can’t move on much less find another relationship.”

“That’s not what you are at all,” he insisted, a hard look in his eyes that said he wouldn’t even let her argue the point. Donna couldn’t think of anything to say.

Instead she flipped her phone open again and started scrolling through her contacts. “Do you mind taking us back home for a minute? I’ve got to RSVP to this thing first before I even think about who I’m taking with me.”

“Yeah, alright,” he agreed, moving away to the controls. “I suppose now’s as good a time as any for us to update Wilfred.”

Donna hummed in reply, her brow creasing as she reached the bottom of the list. No one, not one person she could count on to sit through one lousy, miserable day with her. Wasn’t that a sad state of affairs?

She shouldn’t have been surprised. About the only friend she really had was Spaceman.

_ Spaceman. _

“Here we are!” The Doctor announced as the ship landed with a  _ thud _ . He turned to her and froze. “What?”

Donna knew she was staring, but she also knew she couldn’t stop. She probably only had one shot at this, and she had to use it carefully. “Doctor,” she began, slowly rising from the jump seat.

His eyes tracked her movement. “Yeah?”

“Being that you are my best friend in all the universe and the one person I actually manage to have a good time with,” she kept going, noting his preening at the praise. Donna moved in for the kill. “Would it be alright if I marked down I was bringing a guest?”

“Well, sure, but I’m not clear on how those things are related,” he said.

Nothing for it, then. “My ex just invited me to his wedding, and I need you to be my date so it doesn’t look like I’ve spent the last few years failing to get over him.”

His face got all scrunched up and his voice came out as a squeak. “What?”

“ _ Please _ ?”

“But- but you haven’t been failing to get over him. You’ve never even mentioned him before today!”

She tried very hard not to roll her eyes, but wasn’t sure if she managed it. “I know that, but  _ they _ don’t.”

“Who is this ‘they’ anyway? Why do we have to care so much about them?”

“Doctor, please.” Donna reached out and placed her hands on both his arms before he could even think about moving. “It could be fun! There’s music and an open bar and people in funny outfits! All I know is it definitely  _ won’t _ be fun without you there.”

“Donna,” he groaned.

“Please, Spaceman.”

He tried avoiding her gaze for about another half second before sighing, “Alright. How bad can it be?”

“Thank you!” She pulled him into a hug which he returned, so he couldn’t be that put out. “I love you, I really do.”

The Doctor made a happy sort of sound in her ear and rocked them from side to side once. Donna’s eyes had closed of their own accord, but they flew open with a sudden thought.

“Wait, do you have something to wear besides either of your suits?”

He sighed again. “Yes, Donna. Although, I should warn you that my tux is incredibly unlucky. Something bad always happens when I wear it.”

“Well, it’s my ex’s wedding, so I won’t worry too much.”

She felt the rumble of his laugh in his chest and smiled. Donna stepped back and turned towards the ramp. “Just let me take care of the invite, and we can go traveling a bit longer before all this, alright?”

She just caught his reply of, “Alright,” before the door shut behind her.

Donna let herself in through the front door of her mother’s house. “Anyone home?”

“Oh, so you did get my call,” her mum replied from what sounded like the kitchen. Donna tried to push down that disappointed feeling at having caught her in and went to find her.

“Where’s the mail?”

“On the counter there.”

Donna sifted through it till she came up with the invite. The paper was heavy and the letterhead obnoxious. Typical Michael.

“Not that you’ll listen, but it’d be at least slightly more dignified for you to go,” her mother remarked, not even looking up from the coupons she was sorting through. “Even if you’ll be alone.”

“Actually, I’ve got a date. The Doctor’s going with me.”

That got her attention. “What  _ him _ ?”

“Yes  _ him _ ,” said Donna. “Why wouldn’t I take him? He’s my best friend.”

“He’s absolutely barking mad,” her mother replied.

“Well that’s a good sight better than all those other people who’re gonna be there.” She finished filling out the little card and placed it in the return envelope that had been provided. “Anyway, he’s agreed to go, so that’s that.”

Donna was halfway out of the kitchen when her mother spoke again. “Oh, I see. This is one of your schemes, isn’t it?”

She turned back around. “Excuse me?”

“It’s always something with you. He hasn’t been interested in you yet, so you make up a reason he’s got to be your date.”

“I- that’s not- I’m not making anything up. You  _ told  _ me I had to go to this thing!” Her face felt heated and was probably turning some blotchy red color. “And we’re just going as friends!”

Her mother tilted her head in consideration. “That’s not what you’ll tell Michael if he asks, though, is it?”

She stormed out of the house before she could say something especially rude. She could not  _ believe _ her mother sometimes. Absolutely mad, the things she was insinuating!

But Donna had called him her date, hadn’t she? She could have said she needed him to be her plus one, or to go as a friend, but she’d said  _ date _ . A line they’d both agreed never to cross.

God, what if she’d messed everything up with this?

Donna entered the TARDIS with some trepidation. It was jarring to find her Spaceman darting around the console cheerful as could be.

“Okay, so where should we go next?” The Doctor turned and froze at the sight of her, the smile dropping off his face. “Donna, what happened?”

“Nothing.” Her attempt to wave him off was weak at best. “Look, just forget the whole thing about Michael’s wedding. You don’t have to go.”

“What?”

“It was stupid, and I shouldn’t have asked.” She started attempting to edge past him towards one of the corridors out of the console room. “You can just spend the day with Gramps or something.”

“Hey, no, no, no.” He took up her hands and waited for her to look at him. “Donna, what did your mother say?”

She felt herself flush all over again. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does. When you leave here looking happy and come back nearly in tears, it does.”

She couldn’t find the right words for a minute. “I just...she- she thinks that I’m using this to trap you into a... _ relationship _ because I can’t get into one any other way.” Donna chanced a look up at him. “I mean, she’s not wrong about that last bit.”

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting; him to turn flustered or indignant, to agree that being her date wasn’t the best idea after all and to quickly move on. Whatever she might have expected, it wasn’t the solemn look he was fixing her with.

“Donna, there aren’t enough words in any language in the universe to say how wrong Sylvia is about you. And while it’s frankly ridiculous that people will only choose to measure your success by whether there’s a man at your side, we are going to this wedding so they can all see how brilliant you are and how much more you’ve done than any of them.”

She drew in a shaky breath and had to take one of her hands out of his to wipe at her eyes. “Really?”

A small, yet somehow all the more sincere smile curved his lips as he nodded. “I am honored to be your date. Couldn’t be luckier.”

She gave an embarrassingly loud sniffle and mumbled a quiet, “Thanks,” when he withdrew a handkerchief and passed it to her. “You can’t be feeling too lucky right now,” she added, gesturing to her face with her free hand.

He waited till she was done, then wrapped his arms around her. “I always feel lucky when you’re with me.”

Donna clutched at the back of his jacket and turned her face into his chest, slowly feeling herself calm. She didn’t know how long they’d been standing there like that, but she didn’t want it to end.

It was that heady sense of closeness following just after all that turmoil that had her snuggling a little closer and her eyes falling shut.

“I really do love you.”

She hadn’t actually realized she’d spoken her confession, much less loud enough for him to her, until his lips pressed to the top of her head. Then Donna froze, her eyes blinking open and her head turning to look up at him.

Spaceman was smiling. “See? I was just thinking the same thing. How lucky is that?”

A startled little laugh escaped her, and then they were both giggling and hugging and Donna kissed his cheek and then his lips, and she felt dizzy with everything that was happening.

“I didn’t actually mean to tell you.”

“Me neither.”

There was a bit more giggling, and Donna was leaning her forehead on his shoulder before she finally managed to get her breath back.

“Let’s go someplace.” She had the strangest urge to get mistaken for a couple — though this time there was no mistake. “Lunch, we haven’t had lunch yet, have we?”

“We haven’t,” he confirmed.

“Alright, let’s do that. Oh, and we ought to get something for the wedding while I remember. Suppose we’ll have to go in for something actually nice now.”

Spaceman made a face. “That does seem fair.”

“But lunch first,” she decided, taking his hand and pulling to get him heading down the ramp with her.

“Donna, we haven’t actually left for anywhere else yet,” the Doctor pointed out. “We’re still on Earth.”

“That’s okay. Lunch on me!” She grinned back at him. “You’re my date.”

His face split into a goofy grin. “Then lead the way.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so after a lot of you guys asked, I decided to write the follow-up of the wedding itself. Not sure if it'll live up to the hype, but hopefully you enjoy!

As much as Donna liked to call him a commitment-phobe, the Doctor found he was rather enjoying their new relationship status. Perhaps because it wasn’t much different from their previous relationship status; it just happened to involve more kissing and other types of touching that were incredibly pleasant. Her warnings about hands felt like a long ago memory, while they now happily confirmed to various strangers they met that, yes, they were a couple. A few of the more overzealous ones had to be corrected about their marital status now and then, but that was of minor inconvenience in the face of everything else that came with being a romantic partner to Donna Noble.

In fact, he enjoyed it so much, he along with Donna had entirely forgotten what had caused it in the first place. At least until they stopped by her home again.

“The car’s missing. That’s a good sign,” Donna remarked over her shoulder as she led him by the hand to the front door. “Anyone home? Gramps?”

“That you, Donna?” Wilfred came shuffling into view, his brow creasing at the sight of them. “You can’t be going in that, can you?”

“Going where? We just got here,” Donna told him.

“Well, it’s today isn’t it? Sylvia went on alone, she said you could make your own way or not come at all. You weren’t answering your phone.”

“Yeah, it’s in rice,” said Donna. “An alien tried to eat it, and it was sort of slobbery.”

“Er, it’s possible there’s a mix-up, Wilfred,” said the Doctor. “Donna and I certainly haven’t agreed to meet Sylvia anywhere. We haven’t even spoke — well, I suppose Donna talked with her...three months ago?” Blimey, the time had flown. He hadn’t meant to keep her away for so long, but they’d just been having such a good time. And he’d even managed to get them to some non-dangerous locations for once! “Although, might’ve been shorter or longer for her. I didn’t exactly check the date when we landed—”

“Oh, my God.” Donna grabbed his arm and turned to him with a look of terror. “The wedding!”

“Wedding? What wedding?”

“What do you mean, what wedding? Michael’s wedding. My ex!” She added when he continued to stare at her.

“Oh, right. So…”

“ _ So _ , we agreed to go to that, remember?” 

That’s when it clicked. “Oh! It’s today!”

“Yes, it’s today!” She whirled back around to look at Wilf. “Gramps, what time is it?”

“I don’t think it starts for another hour yet. You know your mother. She likes being early.”

“Oh good, we’ve still got time.” She turned again to him and started pushing him back towards the door. “I’ve got the address in my bag. Come on!”

“Bye Wilfred!” He called just before they exited the house. Donna went charging for the TARDIS and the Doctor followed her all the way back to what he had tentatively begun to refer to as their room in his head.

“Here.” She shoved a bit of crumpled stationary at him. “That should be good for coordinates, right? Mum’s gonna kill me if I’m late.” Donna pointed a finger at him. “And you better really get us to the church this time!”

“Shouldn’t be a problem with the Old Girl unless your ex is dating a co-conspirator for alien conquest. Get changed,” he said, backing out of the room.

“You too!”

Ah yes, he had promised the unlucky tux, hadn’t he? The Doctor skidded to a halt, then went running in the opposite direction for the wardrobe room.

He was still adjusting his cufflinks even after piloting them to the venue, but he looked up at the sound of heels in the corridor. Donna stopped right in the archway.

“Right, grating. That just makes everything so much easier, doesn’t it?”

It took him a moment to register she’d spoken, and then an offer to carry her nearly tumbled from his lips. But it was only natural he would nearly lose his head if Donna was going to wear a deep blue dress that only made her hair look an even richer red. She’d pulled some of it back with a clip but was letting the rest fall down her back. And the dress itself...well, it wasn’t as if he needed imagination when it came to Donna’s body anymore, but it did give him  _ ideas _ .

“It’s not much, but I only had a few minutes,” she added when he failed to actually speak.

“It’s lovely.” Somehow, he got his legs to work so that he could meet her and offer a hand to help her navigate the floor.

“Thanks.” Her pleased smile turned a touch lascivious as she eyed his form. “And just where have you been hiding this?”

Much as he wanted to bask in her attention, the Doctor only felt it fair to warn her, “I told you, bad things happen when I wear it.”

“Wait a minute.” She stepped back and looked down again. “Shoes.”

He looked down as well. “What about them?”

“Seriously. You haven’t got any other kind of shoes?”

“If I wear the tux, I wear the shoes,” he insisted.

Donna huffed. “Fine. Never mind it’s probably the shoes that are bad luck.”

She left him standing there as he thought over her words. “That’s — plenty of good things have happened when I wear these. It’s not the shoes.”

“Sure it’s not.” She’d made her way down to the doors and now tilted her head towards them. “How about escorting me out there, then?”

The Doctor gave the equivalent of a mental shake of the head and rushed down to her side, offering up his arm. “Of course, my lady.”

“Careful not to mix up your centuries,” she remarked, looping her arm through his and giving it a fond pat.

He’d parked them around the corner, so they took a stroll round to the front of the church and followed a couple of the last stragglers in. The inside was done up with the usual trappings for these sorts of things, with plenty seated on both sides of the aisle. Donna’s mother, several rows up ahead, looked as though she’d swallowed a lemon as she watched them slide onto one of the benches further back. The Doctor gave her a jaunty wave.

“Oh don’t,” Donna muttered, though she was grinning.

“Just saying hello.”

The ceremony itself was dreadfully boring. Hard to feel all that invested when he knew not a single person involved. The infamous Michael was also somewhat of a letdown; he was on the shorter end with a rather ruddy complexion, and his vest buttons strained whenever he breathed too deeply — “I always told him he ought to watch how much beer he put away,” Donna whispered in his ear — but he looked happy enough when the bride arrived. 

The priest rattled off some words on love the Doctor was surprised he didn’t have memorized by now, and there were some scripture readings. The ring bearer was beginning to swing his legs which didn’t quite reach the floor from his perch in the first pew while the flower girl fidgeted with her basket. He empathized.

In order to avoid looking too rude, he focused most of his attention on Donna. Her eyes were on the ceremony, but he could tell she was letting her mind wander. The Doctor took her hand and watched her eyes jump to his face. She offered a brief smile and squeezed his hand before returning her gaze to the front.

The ceremony ended at last and they clapped and watched the whole wedding party proceed back up the aisle.

“So, wedding. Not so bad.”

“There’s still the reception, you prawn.”

“Oh. Right.”

Donna grinned up at him. “Come on, let’s go through the receiving line. Got to introduce you, anyway.”

Before they could make it out of the church doors, however, they were intercepted by Donna’s mother.

“I said not to bring him,” she hissed.

“‘Him’ is standing right here,” said the Doctor.

“And what exactly has been the problem?” Donna added.

“Every time he turns up, something awful happens. He already ruined your wedding!”

“For which I am eternally grateful,” said Donna with a role of her eyes. “Look, we’ll see you at the reception, alright?” With that she brushed past her mother.

“Excuse me,” said the Doctor, ducking around Sylvia as well to catch up. “Come to think of it, what is Sylvia doing here?”

“She got on real well with Michael’s mum, and they stayed friends after the breakup.”

“She stayed friends with his mother after he dumped you?”

Donna shrugged. The Doctor mentally added to the alarmingly long list of reasons he did not like Sylvia Noble. Physically, he took up Donna’s hand.

“Receiving line?”

She nodded and laced her fingers with his. “Right.”

Outside, people were shaking hands one by one with the wedding party. They started off with the bridesmaids, only one of which Donna seemed to actually know.

“This is Michael’s sister,” she told him.

“Pleasure,” said the Doctor.

“Likewise,” the woman said with a wide smile. “Donna, where did you find him?”

“You’d never believe me,” said Donna. She was smiling as well, but the Doctor was a little worried she might be cutting off his circulation with how tightly she’d begun to grip his hand. 

It only got worse as they reached the bride and groom. “Donna!” said Michael. “Have you met Hayley?”

“No, afraid not. Congratulations, you two.”

“Thanks!”

“And who’s this, then?” Michael asked with a look in his direction. “Last I’d heard things with Lance, er, fell through.”

“I would be the beneficiary of Lance’s remarkable lapse in judgement,” said the Doctor as he shook the groom’s hand. “Though that’s a bit of a mouthful. Most people call me the Doctor.”

“Well, that’s good. Everybody gets their happy ending,” said Hayley with a trill of a laugh. “Thank you both so much for coming.”

Donna indicated with a nod that that was their dismissal, and he happily moved along in the line with her.

Eventually they all stopped standing about making pointless chatter and moved onto the reception hall. There was a little table with cards written in calligraphy telling everyone where to sit. Donna plucked up their card and showed it to him. “See, this is what happens when you haven’t got a proper name.”

“Doctor and Mrs. Noble,” he read aloud. “You know, I have never had this problem before. 900 years, never been an issue.”

“So this is my fault, then?”

“Maybe. It can’t just be my fault.”

“You ever consider that it takes two?”

Sylvia was at their table, but they were fortunately able to squeeze a few people between them on either side. There were plates of salad at each place, along with champagne, water, and entirely too much cutlery.

Before they could do much more than introduce themselves to the people on either side of them, the best man stood up and asked for everyone’s attention.

“Oh, he got Ken to be best man. This is gonna be a bore,” Donna muttered.

The Doctor shrugged and started on the salad, studiously ignoring Sylvia’s dirty look across the table. He didn’t see what the problem was so long as he raised his champagne on cue. Half the other tables were already chattering away anyway.

After a rather rambly speech filled with lots of you-had-to-be-there moments, the maid of honor also stood up for a speech followed by the father of the bride. He was starting to wonder if the whole wedding party was planning to talk when a member of the band announced it was time for the newlywed couple’s first dance.

Everyone got up to watch, though the Doctor took the opportunity to lean in slightly and say in Donna’s ear. “There’s an awful lot of scheduling that goes into these things, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, well you can’t always arrive right in the middle of it after everyone’s started dancing without you.”

There were dances with parents of the bride and groom that followed. Dinner had been served in the meantime, so everyone returned to their seats briefly. Soon enough, couples here and there were stepping up to the dance floor.

“You said you were a doctor?” Asked the woman to his left who had introduced herself as a family friend of the groom’s side.

“Uh, yes.”

“And how did you meet your wife?”

Donna had leaned around him, but before either of them could begin to make corrections, they were beaten to it.

“She’s not his wife,” Sylvia stated. “Truthfully, I doubt I’ll ever see her married.”

“I wouldn’t count on it just yet,” the Doctor remarked lightly, watching as Sylvia took a sip of the wine she’d had a waiter bring over. Then, very deliberately, he stood and extended a hand to Donna. “Donna, love, fancy a dance?”

Her eyes widened just as Sylvia began to cough very loudly. But she took his hand and stood as well. “Maybe just the one.”

“Oh, enjoy yourselves out there! If I were still young,” said the woman as they left the table.

“Not exactly how I meant for mum to find out about us,” Donna said under her breath.

“Donna, we came here so that people could see just how wonderfully you are doing in your life, and I will not let your mother of all people ruin that.”

Donna gave a sigh and a, “Yeah, alright.” Though as they reached the dancefloor, she frowned. “Hold on, do you actually know how to dance?”

He lifted the hand he was already holding while placing his other hand on her waist. “I’ve had the odd lesson here and there. Let’s put it to use.”

Donna was looking at him like she was wondering if he’d lost his head, but she fell into step with him all the same. He ought to have taken her out dancing before now, really, because he knew she enjoyed it. And there was hardly a better way to show her off to any wedding guests that might have been hoping to see her down on her luck.

They danced through a couple songs and a slower number started to play. Donna leaned into him and he dropped her hand to lay both of them on her waist. “You tired?”

“No, not really. Anyway, who wants to sit down with mum probably harping on?”

He nodded, but when he went to take her hand again she shook it off and looped both arms around his next.

“What are you doing?”

“21st century dancing, Spaceman.” Donna rested her cheek on his shoulder and started to sway them back and forth one step at a time. “What do you make of it?”

The Doctor wrapped both arms around her and laid his own cheek on top of her head. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”

By closing his eyes, he could forget the whole wedding and the nosy, judgmental people who comprised it. It was only he and Donna, her warmth and softness fit perfectly in his arms. He felt a slight pang of regret when the song drew to a close and the music picked back up.

“Alright, if everyone could clear the floor except the ladies in the room,” said the bandleader.

The Doctor looked up and around them. “Oh, what’s this now?”

“The bouquet. This should just be a minute.” Donna let go of him and walked to the back of a growing crowd of women, including several of the bridesmaids. The bride was several feet in front with her back to the whole lot of them. Then she tossed a rather eye-catching bouquet of flowers over her shoulder.

Two rather exuberant women crashed into each other, the bouquet tipping off their fingers to fall right on a rather unsuspecting Donna. He couldn’t quite make out her indignant squawk of “Oi!” over the clapping and cheers and music, but it had him grinning nonetheless. 

One of the groomsmen shoved at his shoulder for some reason, and rather than an apology all he said was, “Watch out, mate!” The Doctor raised both eyebrows but elected to ignore the man. Perhaps he’d been making liberal use of the open bar.

Donna finally managed to break away from the crowd to rejoin him. “Well done.”

She shrugged. “I mostly caught it with my cleavage.”

“Right, yes,” he said, eyes straying from her face despite his best efforts. “A very good use of, ah, personal assets.”

“Yeah?” She reached up to readjust the hemline there, which he faintly suspected was on purpose. “Maybe I’ll let you check for petals later.”

The Doctor had to clear his throat in order to speak, and even then it came out a bit higher than intended. “Fancy a drink?”

They were intercepted, however, by Donna’s mother.

“Alright, I’ve had just about enough of this nonsense. Just what are you playing at?”

They exchanged a look. “I’m not sure what you mean, Sylvia.”

“You’re not gonna fool me,” she told him with narrowed eyes. “I know she’s roped you into her schemes.”

Donna sighed. “There’s no scheme, mum.”

“And just what precisely would the scheme be? That I like your daughter and find her to be brilliant and beautiful?” He shook his head. “That’s not even a scheme, that’s a- a sentiment. And the truth.”

“But—”

He couldn’t believe it. Rather than be happy for her daughter’s happiness, Sylvia refused to even consider it was possible. He really did need a drink.

“If you’ll excuse us,” the Doctor cut across Sylvia’s sputtering, leading Donna around her and to the bar.

She fanned herself as they waited for their drinks.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, just a bit hot in here. Thanks, by the way,” she muttered.

“No need.” The Doctor passed her her drink and took his own. They saluted each other and each had a sip.

A short while later, Donna got pulled aside to talk to some old acquaintances, leaving the Doctor standing by the bar and nursing his drink. He noticed her gesture back at him and gave a little wave and smile.

“You know, I almost can’t believe it,” said a voice to his left. He turned to see Michael’s sister with a drink in her hand. “I didn’t think Donna could ever manage it.”

“Manage what?” He asked, sure he wouldn’t like the answer.

She shrugged. “Bloke like you. And you and her actually looking like you’re having a good time. I mean, what do you even talk about?”

“Plenty.”

“Oh, I haven’t touched a nerve, have I?” She giggled.

“No, but you have made me question the intelligence and humanity of the population of Chiswick,” the Doctor said, eyes on Donna as she laughed at something someone in that little circle had said. They all seemed to be enjoying her company well enough, or was that merely an act put on for societal reasons?

“Pardon?”

“Well, it’s incredibly odd to me that so many people in one area fail to see her for who she really is. When the sample size is expanded to the whole universe, she’s got no shortage of friends and admirers, but you lot do nothing but try to drag her down.” He fixed his gaze on her now. “I really don’t care for it.”

“Right.” Michael’s sister giggled again, but it was much more nervous sounding. “I think I see Ken over there, wanted to tell him a good job on the speech.”

“I’m sure.”

She was already walking away in a hurry. The Doctor nodded to himself, then finished off his drink.

Fortunately, the next woman to sidle up to him was Donna. “You good to drive?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Cause it’s polite enough to leave now.” She noticed his eyes light up and trailed her hand down his arm to take his hand with a smile. “Let’s get out of here.”

Donna took her bouquet as a souvenir — it was rather pretty and bright — and they slipped out the door and away to the TARDIS.

“Thanks again,” she told him. “For putting up with all that back there.”

“I’m not the one that has to put up with it,” he pointed out. “And you know, you don’t have to either. Not if you don’t want.”

She considered his words. “Suppose you’re right. And I don’t, really. Wouldn’t have even gone to this thing if mum hadn’t — it’s really only my family I bother with it all for anymore. It’s what she wants.”

“Well, someday she’s going to have to realize it’s not about what she wants anymore.”

Donna didn’t say anything, either in agreement or disagreement. She just brushed her shoulder with his, then stood aside as he unlocked the TARDIS doors.

They’d barely cleared the threshold when he began undoing the knot of his bowtie.

“What, is it that tight?”

“I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop all night,” the Doctor said. “Somehow, my unlucky tux has failed to strike, but no need to take chances. The sooner I get out of this thing, the better.”

Donna stepped up to him and placed a hand on his chest, stilling his movement. “Well, I could help you out with that.”

They shared a grin as she tossed the bouquet in her other hand onto the jump seat.

Donna’s lips were near centimeters from his, but out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor noticed a puff of what seemed to be pollen rise from the bouquet as it impacted the seat.

“Wait, wait, wait a minute,” he said, disentangling himself to snatch the flowers back up. “Oh, I should have known. These aren’t native to Earth at all, are they?”

“What?” Donna didn’t seem to be asking him to repeat himself. More that she couldn’t actually believe what had been said. “How could there be alien flowers at my ex’s wedding? And why?”

“I don’t know. Yet, anyway.” He took a careful sniff as far away as he could manage. “Pollen’s odorless. Probably from the Bezwoner Sector.” The Doctor looked up. “You’ve been handling this most of the night, so we need to make sure you’re clean before anything else in case it effects humans negatively.”

“Oh, you are  _ kidding _ .”

“Nope. Into the detox shower with you.”

“You too, then,” Donna insisted. “I’ve been hanging about you the whole time.”

He grimaced but couldn’t find a reason to argue. “Alright, but one at a time. Then we’ve got to get back to the reception to figure out where Michael and Hayley got these flowers.”

“Detox shower, then actual shower,  _ then _ reception.” Donna placed her hands on her hips at his look. “What? You know what it does to my hair.”

“We haven’t got time to take four showers!”

“We’ve got a time machine!” She reminded him. “Or we can always take three.”

“Three?”

Donna, who had begun heading up to one of the corridors, turned back to give him a look.

“Oh.” The Doctor licked his lips and threw the lever to put them in the Vortex. He took the ramp at a run and caught up Donna’s hand. “Three showers it is.”

They’d go back and check on the wedding...eventually.


End file.
